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Per-watt pricing, the NEM 3.0 reality, and how to read a solar quote without getting sold.
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Expect $2.75–$3.75 per watt installed before incentives in San Diego, so a typical 7 kW system lands around $19,000–$26,000 gross. The federal residential clean energy credit that covered 30% expired for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025, so budget from the gross number and treat any remaining incentive as a bonus rather than the plan. The bigger change is NEM 3.0: systems interconnected since April 2023 are paid roughly 75% less for exported power than the old net metering, which means a solar-only system now pays back in 9–12 years while solar plus a battery that shifts your own power into the 4–9 p.m. peak often beats it. Batteries add $10,000–$18,000 for 10–13 kWh. Get three bids on the same production estimate in kWh per year, confirm the CSLB license carries a C-46 solar or C-10 electrical classification, and never sign at the kitchen table on the first visit.
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost per watt | $2.75–$3.75 | Lower for large simple roofs, higher for tile and multi-plane |
| 6 kW system | $16,500–$22,500 | Covers a modest all-electric-light household |
| 8 kW system | $22,000–$30,000 | Common with EV charging or A/C |
| Battery (10–13 kWh) | $10,000–$18,000 | Often the difference-maker under NEM 3.0 |
| Main panel upgrade | $2,500–$5,000 | Frequently required on pre-1990 homes |
| Tile roof adder | $0.10–$0.30/watt | Tile removal and flashing labor |
| Re-roof before solar | $12,000–$30,000 | Do it first if the roof has under 10 years left |
| Permit + interconnection | $400–$1,200 | Usually bundled into the quote |
| Panel removal/reinstall later | $2,000–$5,000 | The cost of roofing after solar |
Under NEM 2.0 you banked exported power near retail rates. Under the current billing structure exports are credited at avoided-cost values that average roughly a quarter of what they used to be. Overbuilding your array to sell power no longer works.
Every kilowatt-hour you use yourself is worth full retail. That is why batteries, timed EV charging, running the dishwasher midday, and pre-cooling the house before 4 p.m. now drive the payback.
SDG&E's time-of-use peak is late afternoon and evening, exactly when solar production dies. A battery that carries the house through that window is where the savings live.
A good designer sizes to your actual annual kWh from twelve months of SDG&E bills, not to how many panels fit. Ask to see the offset percentage and the assumed rate escalator.
Savings projections often assume utility rates climb 4–6% a year forever. Ask what the savings look like at 2%. If the deal only works at 6%, it is a sales spreadsheet, not a plan.
Homes interconnected under older net metering generally keep those terms for 20 years from interconnection. If you buy a house with existing solar, ask the seller for the interconnection date.
Best lifetime return and the cleanest title. No lien, no dealer fee, no transfer paperwork when you sell.
Watch the dealer fee. A 'low rate' loan often carries a 15–30% fee baked into the system price. Ask for the cash price and the loan price side by side — that gap is the fee.
No money down, but you do not own the system and the escalator clause raises your payment 1.9–2.9% a year. It complicates home sales; buyers must qualify to assume the agreement.
Repaid through your property tax bill and it puts a senior lien on the home. It has caused real trouble at resale and refinance in California. Read every page before considering it.
Often the cheapest borrowed money if you have equity, with no dealer fee inflating the system price.
Panels are warrantied 25 years; inverters typically 10–12 with an extension option. Ask who honors labor warranty if the installer goes out of business — many have.
C-46 (solar) or C-10 (electrical) on an active CSLB license. Look up the license, not the brand name on the truck — many door-knockers are sales outfits that subcontract the install.
In-house crews are more accountable than a rotating subcontractor. Get the installing entity's license number in the contract.
A written annual kWh estimate with a remedy if actual production falls short is the single best filter for honest bids.
Panel wattage, inverter type, annual kWh, and total price. Do not compare monthly payments — that is how mismatched deals get sold.
If your roof has under a decade left, re-roof before the panels go on. Removing and reinstalling an array later costs thousands.
The installer should pull the city or county permit and file the SDG&E interconnection application. Expect 4–10 weeks from install to permission to operate.
A price that expires tonight is a sales tactic. Legitimate installers hold quotes for 30 days.
Roughly $2.75–$3.75 per watt installed, so about $19,000–$26,000 gross for a typical 7 kW system. Tile roofs, multi-plane layouts, and required main panel upgrades push the number up; a large simple roof pushes it down.
Yes for most homes, but the payback is slower and the design is different. Exported power earns far less than it did, so the systems that pay off now are sized to your actual usage and usually paired with a battery that covers the 4–9 p.m. peak. Expect roughly 9–12 years for solar alone.
Not required, but under current export rates a battery is often what makes the economics work, and it also gives you backup during outages and Public Safety Power Shutoffs. Budget $10,000–$18,000 for 10–13 kWh.
The physical install is one to three days. The full timeline from signed contract to permission to operate is usually two to four months, with permitting and SDG&E interconnection taking most of it.
If the roof has fewer than about ten years of life left, yes. Removing and reinstalling an existing array to re-roof runs $2,000–$5,000 on top of the roofing job.
Some are, many are subcontracted sales agents paid on commission who will not be the ones installing. Never sign the day they knock. You have a three-day right to cancel a home-solicited contract in California, and five days if you are a senior.
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Written and fact-checked by the Sandi Spots Editorial team — San Diego residents publishing under Sleep Coast LLC. Every place we recommend has been visited in person or verified against an official source, and no business can pay for inclusion or a higher ranking. Last updated .